Turret locking device



June 12, 1956 w. J. MCNAMEE ETAL 2,749,595

TURREIT LOCKING DEVICE Filed April 11, 1955 hum M VIII HTTORNEE United States Patent r TURRET LOCKING DEVICE Wallace J. McNamee and Heinz E. Adelt, Racine, Wis., asslgnors to George Gorton Machine Co., Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application April 11, 1955, Serial No. 500,626

3 Claims. (Cl. 29-1) This invention relates to machine tools and the nature and objects of the invention will be readily recognized and understood by those skilled in the arts involved in the light of the following explanation and detailed de scription of the accompanying drawings illustrating what we now believe to be the preferred embodiments or mechanical expressions of which our invention and its various features are capable within the broad spirit and scope thereof as defined by the hereinafter appended claims.

Our invention is directed primarily to machine tools having a column and a turret for mounting a ram and is also directed to a locking means associated with the column and the turret.

Heretofore various means have been used to lock said turret to a column, the most prominent being merely by spacing studs in said column for projecting through spaced openings in said turret and drawing vents down on said studs. Other means provide a brake band effect, and so forth. The applicants instant invention is directed to provide decided advantages over the prior locking means and to eliminate the inherent disadvantages of such locking means.

A general object of the invention is to substantially improve the design, construction and arrangement of such locking means.

A further general object is to provide a locking device comprising a three prong or fingered member having a hub with a centrally disposed longitudinally extending bore to receive a threaded bolt which extends through the turret with the throat of said bolt beveled to bear within a dish shaped portion of said turret. Two of said fingers bear at spaced points on the underside of the top of said column with a threaded stud bearing against a further point on the underside of the top of said column.

Another object of our invention resides in the simplicity of construction and the mode and use of the locking device, the speed at which locking and unlocking can be effected, the accessibility of the locking screw, the economy in which the locking device can be constructed and the general satisfactory result by use of our locking device between the column and the turret.

With the above recited, and other objects in view, reference is had to the following description and accompanying drawing in which there is exhibited one example or embodiment of the locking device used with a machine tool column and turret while the claims define the actual scope of the same.

Figure 1 is a generally schematic perspective view of one form of machine employing the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the column and the turret with which the device for locking the turret relative to the column is employed; this view being taken on line 2-2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2.

The machine of the selected example includes a section of a vertical column 10 having an enlarged central opening 11 at its top. The top surface 12 of said column is flat and provides an annular bearing area of substantial proportions to receive a turret 13. In addition, said column is undercut at 14 to receive the cylindrical enlarged extension 15 which is integral with the body of said turret and projects downwardly therefrom.

An annular shoulder 16 is formed integral with the under surface of said column and provides bearing surface for the ends 17 and 18 of the locking device 19 and the end 20 of the adjustment finger 21.

This locking device 19 includes a substantially thick hub 22 having radially outwardly projecting circumferentially equally spaced fingers 23, 24 and 25. The ends 17 and 18 of fingers 23 and 24 respectively are substantially of the same thickness, and have rounded bearing portions 17a and 18a (18a being indicated by a dotted lead line in Figure 3) which bear against the annular shoulder 16. End 20 of the finger 25 is of less thickness but is provided with a threaded aperture 26 to receive an adjustment bolt 27, the rounded end 27a of which engages shoulder 16.

The hub 22 is provided with an internally threaded axial bore 28 arranged to receive a locking bolt 29 which extends from and through axial bore 30 formed in the diametric web 13a in the turret 13. The turret is recessed at 31 to provide space to receive the head 32 of bolt 29 and counterbored at 33 for mounting a bearing washer 34. This washer 34 is annularly beveled at 37 adjacent its opening 36 for receiving the annularly beveled shoulder 37:: forming part of said head 32 and integral therewith. The bolt 29 is thus capable of slight lateral movement from its normal vertical position with the bolt head serving as a fulcrum.

The column 10 itself is provided with an enlarged opening 38 through which an operator may insert his hand to manipulate a nut 39 on bolt 29 or to actuate the bolt 27.

In operation, and when securing the turret 13, the turret is first placed in the column as best shown in Figure 2. The bolt 29 is then inserted through the opening 3%} and 28, respectively. The locking device 19 is then mounted on the bolt 29 and held thereon by nut 39. The fingers 23 and 24 are spaced with ends 17 and 18, respectively, bearing on the ring 16 but with the finger 25 arranged between spaced ribs 40 depending downwardly from ring 16 and integral therewith near the front of opening 38. An operator then tightens the nut 29.

In actual assembling relationship, tightening of nut 29 still permits rotation of the turret 13 to the position desired, but when the adjustment bolt 27 is drawn tight up against ring 16 sufiicient force is exerted by the locking device 19 to secure the turret head on the column 10 against any rotative movement, the pressure exerted by the end of bolt 27 against shoulder 16 causing a reaction pressure in fingers 23 and 24 for tightening the bearing portions 17a and 18a against the shoulder 16. The bolt 29, of course, absorbs the tension required for locking the turret non-rotatively relative to the column. When the nut 39 has been tightened to the desired position as shown in Figure 2, then it is only necessary to actuate bolt 27 for locking and unlocking the turret relative to the column. As pointed out hereinbefore the head of bolt 29 serves as a fulcrum to permit the slight lateral movement of the bolt 29 occasioned by the tightening or loosening of bolt 27.

The column has integral ears 40 and 41 aligned above the column opening 38 to provide a pocket 42 for entrapping the end of finger 21 and preventing rotation of the locking device 19 relative to the column thereby positioning adjustment nut 27 permanently adjacent opening 38 for ready access in applying a Wrench thereto.

It is believed that the construction, manipulation, utility and advantages of this invention will now be clearly apparent to those skilled in this art Without a more detailed description thereof.

The possible embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail merely for the purposes of cxemplification since in actual practice it attains the features of the invention and the above description.

It will be apparent that changes in the details of c0nstruction, and in the combinations and arrangements of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrirficing any of its advantages.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a machine column and a turret head, a locking device comprising a body member provided with spaced outwardly extending fingers, said body having a centrally disposed vertical opening, said column open at the top and provided with an inner circular flange adjacent said opening, said turret arranged to cover said opening, a stud mounted in said turret and extending through said column opening and the opening in said body and having a nut threadedly mounted on its free end for holding some of said fingers against said flange, one of said fingers provided with a threaded aperture for holding a stud, one end of said stud arranged to engage said flange.

2. In combination with a machine column and a turret head, a locking device comprising a body member provided with spaced outwardly extending fingers, said body having a centrally disposed vertical opening, said column open at the top and provided with an inner circular flange adjacent said opening, said turret mounted on said column and arranged to mount a stud having a cone shaped portion forming an extension of the stud head, said coned portion nesting within a curved portion formed in said turret, said stud extending through the opening in said column and said body and having a nut on its free end to hold certain of said fingers against said flange, one of said fingers having a threaded aperture to hold a stud, one end of said stud arranged to engage said flange, movement of said last named stud against said flange providing equal distribution of force by all fingers through arrangement of said coned portions.

3. In combination with a machine column and a turret head, a locking device comprising a hub having three equally spaced prong elements extending outwardly therefrom, said hub having a centrally disposed vertical opening, said column having an enlarged opening at the top and provided with an inner circular flange adjacent said opening, said turret also provided with a centrally disposed vertical opening, said turret opening being enlarged adjacent the top of said turret, a hand washer arranged in said enlarged opening and being dish or cone shaped on one side, a stud mounted in said turret and having the bottom surface of said stud curved and resting within the cone shaped portion of said washer, said stud extending through the opening in said column and said hub and having a nut on its free end to hold certain of said pronged elements against said flange, one of said elements having a vertically disposed threaded aperture to hold a stud, one end of said stud arranged to engage said flange, movement of said last named stud against said flange providing equal distribution of force by all said elements through arrangement by said coned portions.

No references cited. 

